Mandalorian: Signet of the Growlers Ch 3 The Solstice
by stbear6409
Summary: Nor and Zenx are healed, but thier common fight against the Growlers only made Nor soften towards the quiet yet capable man. She makes the best out of the situation, filling his quiet life with laughter and fun. Zenx has a growing conflict to remit his bounty or give up running for a peaceful life. How do you kill a force user?


Three: The Solstice

The medical droid examined his legs. "You will require three days in the bacta tank for a full-"

"No." He objected.

"Spraying will take two weeks, you will risk rebreaking your legs or further injuring your spine if you walk on them before then, but you will be fully healed by the Solstice."

"Fine." He agreed.

"I will notify Cho of your injuries and treatment."

"Is that really his business?"

"Nor is incapacitated right now, Cho is in charge. He is a fine leader." Zenx thought about objecting, however he didn't feel like he had a choice in the matter. "You are to be returned to your cell, for now." The droid explained.

He nodded quietly. Before considering fighting and escaping, he needed to regroup. The guards came, and kind of helped him into the chair. As they started to push the chair out to the hall, his mind started to churn. With the chair beeping and screeching along, he could barely hear himself think. The chair was so loud, he was certain it would scare off any Tusken raider. He needed his gear, he needed his ship, the bounty. Nor had said it was in a lock box in her chamber, but how to get to it... "Can you bring me to my master?" He blurted out.

The guards looked at each other, turned the chair around and headed towards Nors chambers. Zenx smiled.

The generals, elders of the council, and a few well-meaning villagers were standing in the hallway just outside her chamber. None of them looked happy, and as the chair approached, he could hear the commotion. The untrusting whispers and slightly glares. He didn't like the feeling.

"What is the pet doing here!?" Barked Cho.

"Easy, Cho." Taylor warn.

"He caused this in the first place!" The houk puffed up, wanting to take the man in the chair and beat him to a pulp. Zenx remained calm, quiet, and waited for them to make the first move. "He's nothing but a coward! He didn't even fight the growlers, only our chieftain fought bravely."

"Stand down." Taylor barked back, walking over to the chair. He looked down at the helmeted man. "Why is here?"

"He asked to be with his master." The guard explained.

Cho and Taylor glanced at each other, and Zenx felt the air change from anger to tensioned quiet. "I'll show him in." Cho volunteered taking control of the chair and pushing him towards the door.

Zenx was not ready for this scene. There were officials, doctors, soldiers, everyone was chatting – not the two guards by the door, but everyone else. On a bed, quiet, bandaged, was Nor. Cho pushed him up to the side of the bed. A doctor leaned in to whisper to Cho, but Zenx could hear him: "It's not good general, the toxin is winning." Cho nodded, but then signaled everyone to leave. The guards stood fast.

"Leave us." Nor eked out, looking at one of the guards. They turned and exited. She was exhausted and in no mood to deal with him, but she was curious. "Make it quick so I can rest."

He looked over her body and at the medical tablet. Her temperature was above normal, her vitals low, the word septic stood out. The toxins had eaten from the inside. She was in critical condition. In the corner of his left vision, on the far side of the room, he saw a lockbox, tucked to the side. He longed to have his scanner to get a hint of what was inside, but he felt – hoped – it was the treasure he longed for. He looked down at the imperial chains. The lights were off! Did she know?

"Mm." She moaned. If she knew about his chains, she hadn't said anything. "They can return you to the cell or –"

"I'm fine here." He said, as calmly as he could. His voice was tense and she reached out to feel what was going on. Her life was not in danger, but she was struggling to stay awake and couldn't ascertain why he wanted to stay. She rolled her head to look at him one last time, he moved to acknowledge that she was looking, but before he could figure out what to say, she was gone again. He pushed the release button and freed his hands.

Zenx hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until he woke up to the sound of the door opening. He slowly put the chain over his wrist, as the general came in. He walked to the far side of the bed and checked her fever. He was middle aged, and the many battles showed on his alien body. His eyes watched his leader with worry. "She's been like a daughter to me, a mother to most of us. After the empire fell, the republic just isn't ready to take over. System lords still have most of the power. Chieftains of planets, like her, good or bad it's at least something to keep the peace." Cho sniffled for a second. "The empire asked to imprison the locals, and she refused." He chuckled. "Damn natives come out of the woods every fall and we fight them back; it'd be easier here without them. Yet she refused."

The Mandalorian didn't move. He had more reasons to let her go than he did to capture her, even with the big payday. Refusing the guilds orders would mean banishment and his clan needed the money. This was his big entry into the guild. He needed more time.

"She refused to kill you. Now she's sacrificed herself for you." He growled, a mournful face staring at her sleeping body. "She doesn't even know you…You are not pack. You are nothing!" His breathing had changed, Zenx understood the man was upset and now angered. "_Nothing_. She's killed ten mandalorians, far more worthy than you. And you –" He accused, "You killed her." The man, Cho, meant nothing to Zenx. He had to remind himself of that, as the shame burned onto his cheeks and in his eyes. Cho sniffled back tears again. "We'll know if she will live or die by tomorrow. When she is dead, you can take your bounty and I'll give you back the parts for your ship. But don't ever come back, don't ever give me the chance to avenge her."

"I won't." The general nodded, and exited the room. He looked at the sleeping woman, and the empty room. He turned to look at the lock box. This was his chance! He flipped the chain off from his wrists and tried to stand up, but the pain seared up his legs and he stumbled to his knees. Crawling, his back aching in hot pain, he moved closer to the box. Closer. He had been shot. He had been stabbed. Nothing was like this, a deep nerve paid that radiated into the core of his being. His right leg tingled, as if it was going to sleep, and the pain partially subsided. He took a deep breath, held it, moved forward. Breath, hold, step.

There it was. Pressing the button, he opened the lock box – empty. "What?" he gasped looking at the inside as if his things would appear. A single piece of paper was in the middle. He lifted the paper, and in black flowing script was written: _I did not remove your honor._

He looked back at the bed, where Nor was still sleeping. She knew? She knew. She knew he would betray her trust and open the box, and that why it was left unlocked. Zenx sat back, broken. He was no warrior. She had beaten him. She was not acting like an enemy, she saved his life, carried him to safety…and he had not shown her that level of honor. She was the stronger warrior. No, he growled inwardly. She's just a bounty. Placing the note back, closing the box, he crawled back to his chair, determined to find his armor and free himself of her chains. As he sat down, he placed the imperial chain over his wrists, he was getting closer to being freed.

The golden light of the morning radiated into the room, and Zenx opened his eyes but did not move. He didn't see anyone else in his displays, so he looked around to be sure. The guards had not returned. He looked down at the empty bed, the soft red sheets and linen blankets eased aside, as if there was still a warm body there.

When did they take her? He wondered. Why hadn't he woken up? Was she dead? He sat up a little bit, easing his stiff muscles, and noticed a shadow moving on the balcony. His instinct was to ready himself for attack, but form didn't move. It just staid still, looking away from him.

He pressed the control button and eased himself forward towards the balcony. He regretted not having a coat, but opened the door and eased himself out the door. The morning air was cold and crisp. He could almost hear every flutter in the world it was so quiet. Zenx looked at the intruder, as the brownish grey fur coat turned to look at him.

Nor! His mind gasped, he swallowed hard pinning back the happiness that came to mind. _You're alive_. He said in his mind, wondering if she could hear him.

She opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. Whatever was on her mind was big. She looked over the mountains, bathed in the new morning light. "Did you find the note?"

"Yes." He stated as nonchalantly as possible.

She stared over the valley, snow drowned mountains bathed in the golden hues of the morning, and lowered her head, defeated. "Do you guard your bounty, or your ally?"

Zenx didn't know the answer to the question. He was reminding himself that she was the enemy. Nothing more than the bounty, but her presence was intoxicating and she was certainly worthy of his friendship. She could feel the conflict within him, or was it her conflict? He sighed refusing to give an answer that felt like a lie.

Nor was not strong right now, she walked behind the chair, using it as a brace to walk and slowly -steadily walked him into the chamber, and across the room. He didn't complain about being indoors, it was a welcomed comfort from the outdoors. She opened the door to the hallway and looked at the guards. She stepped forward and touched the door pad for the room across the hall. The door opened to a small and simple room. A bed, night stand, empty closet, with a single overhead light. She let go of the chair, turned around and stepped into the hall. She looked at the guards for a brief paused, then returned to her chambers. Zenx turned around in his chair and looked at the open door as the two guards leaned in, they were just as shocked as he was.

Solstice eve was a whirlwind of movement. He leaned next to the door of the hall, watching the people gathering and decorating for the following day. For the most part his life had become one of structure. He woke up, followed her around, and was left in the hall or his chambers when she had something important to attend to. Now, he leaned against the wall waiting for her to be done. They were testing something.

Musicians came in and started to set up, just as a pack of children ran past him. He followed them with his eyes, regarding their laughter and large smiles. He remembered being a child. The grass baskets, the smell of feathers, and his parents. His drunken father, his beautiful frail mother.

Coming back to the present he shivered, burying his memory. The band started to play a happy, upbeat, tune. The kids came back into the hall and started to form circles. He smiled, under his helmet, everything about this castle seemed to lullaby him into a semi awake state. The whole reality of peace was intoxicating, absorbing, addicting.

Nor appeared in his corner vision but he didn't move. She was still talking with a villager, but as soon as she left Nor turned to him. The band was starting to form the music and the children were starting to sing:

"And I rode the bear to the mountain! And I rode the growler down!" They sang.

"I rode the growler down!" She sang, overcome by a spontaneous moment of playfulness, Nor wrapped her right arm around him, lifting him from the wall to bring him down the few steps to the hall floor. He snapped back his right hand, breaking free of the imperial chain, and was mid strike when his fist met her hand. She looked at him, looking at his fist and considering what she should do, but she put him down and used his clenched fist to push him into a dance. Her firm left hand held his belt and pushed him.

"Stop this." He objected quietly.

"And the townsmen came to the bar," She lifted him up and set him down again. Zenx kind of liked the wild and unknown actions. He smiled, enjoying the dance. "The townsmen rode to Dar, but I rode up the mountain!" She let go of his belt and let his right hand go, his left hand was still on her shoulder, more for assurance than anything else. They walked forward three steps, jumped, back three steps, jump!

"And I rode the bear up the mountain, and I rode a blaster to hell!" He said in an unamused voice, which was almost unheard next to her voice.

The music stopped.

Nor, a big goofy grin on her face, turned to look at the musicians. The villagers grabbing for their children. She reached for her saber and turned to the door, but didn't see any danger. She could feel trepidation and fear, and scanned the room for danger. Slowly a little girl pointed at Zenx, he wasn't wearing the chains.

Nor put the saber back on her belt. She laughed at Zenx, breaking the tension, "Ha! Maybe we finish later." She slammed her palm onto his back.

"_Don't_ do that."

Nor chuckled leading him down the hall to the library. She opened the twin wooden doors to reveal a room filled with books on the walls and under each of the eight tables were twin lock boxes. She walked past them to the table on the far wall under a stain glass window.

Zenx opened the first lock box just to peek, and then he opened the box fully. It was filled – _filled_ with credit bars. He knelt down, running his open hands through the little bars, all stamped 100. He had never seen such a fortune. "What is this place?" He asked.

"The library." She explained pulling out a pair of gloves from a box under the stain glass window. She walked over to him, knelt down and looked at him, wondering what he was thinking. "All this belongs to the clan. Actually, it belonged to my grandfather who did well trading during the Empire days, but then the rebels made the market unstable. This" She pointed to the boxes and to the flight of stairs, "is blood money. We use it to protect and enhance the clan." She pulled something out of her pocket and held it out to him.

Zenx looked at the worn brown leather gloves in her hands and instantly recognized them, craved them, desired them. They were his! "My gloves." He insisted reaching for them.

"Yeah, I thought they'd make you more comfortable." She explained giving them a light toss so he could put them on.

"And my armor, is it here?" He glanced at the other boxes, if he had his bracers, he could find all of the armor.

Nor sighed and he could tell that she didn't have full control over that situation, "No." She whispered, "when the time comes, can you take their armor back with you?" She glanced out the window towards the wall. "I read that your people reuse the metal for foundlings."

Zenx thought about the helmets on the spikes outside the castle door. She had stored their armor, and was now offering to return it to Mandalore. "That's-" he felt chocked up, "that's very thoughtful of you."

"That is who I am."

There were many reasons to celebrate the winter solstice. Although he still felt like he was being dragged along, following her like a pet, he was healed and free of chains. His hands were warm once again, protected. Someone would slip up and tell him where his armor and parts where, then he would have his bounty and leave. For now, they were starting to open up and trust him. He was ever present, just another person around the castle.

The music, the laughter, _her_ laughter, her jokes, the songs were intoxicating. He found himself swaying with her, half smiling and enjoying the scene. Sometimes he didn't have a choice, she'd wrap her arm around his shoulders and force him back and forth, side to side, mug in left hand and trying to out do the next off key singer.

"Oh, look!" She stated, nudging him and pointing to a young man and young woman holding goblets together, their arms locked. They drank from their cups, and the crowd absolutely exploded in cheer. "They are now engaged to be married." She explained, as a plate of mash potatoes was passed to her. She took a large spoonful, and then held it for him.

Zenx cracked a smile and chuckled quietly, she still offered him food, every meal, without fail. She looked at him as if he wasn't wearing a mask, as if she could see his face. She looked at his empty plate and realized he hadn't served himself yet, so she placed a large dollop on the plate. "You can take it back to your cell." She explained.

He didn't like his new room being referred to as a cell. He smiled. It wasn't a cell. That room was probably an old personal servant room, which he almost disliked the idea of more than a cell.

The music increased and the singers gave way as the crowd bellowed out their chant:

"And I rode the bear to the mountain! And I rode the blaster to hell! To hell! To Hell!"

She was laughing again, full of bubbling happiness. The bell tolled, and the singers calmed down. A fur coated man walked in, slowly and deliberately, with a large staff in his hand.

Unlike Nor, this mans fur was from many animals, feathers tied here and there. He looked wild, his face covered with the skull of the growler. "That woman!" He accused pointing at Nor, threateningly.

She stood up, put her napkin down, and walked around the table. Her steps were slow, deliberate, as if facing a challenger. Zenx started to get up, but Cho put a hand on his arm. "Easy, boy." He whispered.

"That _woman_." The man spat out; his voice changed: "Faced a pack of growlers! Killed their clan leader, and brought a Mandalorian to safety." The crowd turned to look at Zenx, who was very grateful to have his helmet to hide his shame that he was called out. The Shaman held up a necklace of four growler teeth.

Nor, dropped to one knee before the man. "Forgive me brother, for defending myself from our totem."

"You are forgiven, and the clan bestows this gift on you." He placed the necklace around her, and she stood up. "The clan recognizes the outsider, bring him forward!"

Zenx glanced around, expecting someone else to be called. He felt a strong nudge from the large Cho, "Better go quick before you insult them."

"I don't know what to do."

"Walk over to Nor, and she'll guide you." Cho winked.

Zenx stood up, walked over to them and stood waiting to be told what to do. Nor looked very proud, but she was not smiling, just stood smugly as everyone gazed upon the necklace with envy. "He has shown us all that he is a man of honor." The shaman leaned close and whispered "This is a gift from our people to you, our gratitude for helping Nor come home." He wrapped a coat around Zenx shoulders. Made from the snow-white fur from the growler, the pale blue and light grey stripes and spots flowed down and gave it a regal look. Bright white to blend with the winter months, everyone could see that it was a growler.

"I can not accept. It was not an honorable –"

"Gift." The shaman corrected with a sigh. "You people are so stubborn."

A couple with a pram came out, and walked to the Shaman and Nor. Nor looked at Zenx, "Why don't you return to your chair, take that off before you roast."

"Good idea."

The couple waited, hesitantly, until Zenx walked back to his seat. "I am Shlovnuk, my mate is Zardook. Our daughter greets her clan."

Nor smiled and spread out her arms. "On behalf of the clan, we greet your daughter: Aleeste." She announced. "Feast with us and may we be great together."

"TOGETHER!" The crowd erupted again, downing frothy mugs of ale.

General Cho leaned closer to the Mandalorian. "Kenus, do you enjoy this so much you don't bother to escape?"

"I want my armor back." He growled.

"_That_ I have arranged." The general mused. "I'll give you your armor, your ship, and ten thousand credits to never come back."

Zenx didn't move his head, he looked around the room, as Nor lifted the baby from the pram into her arms, proudly. Everyone was thrilled there was a new addition to the village. Did he want to leave? These were good people, but could they ever see him as anything other than a threat. "What about her?" He inquired.

The general didn't expect a Mandalorian to ask such a question. "I'll deal with her after you leave." Cho stuffed something into his mouth and swallowed. "Her life for your freedom, deal?" He offered his hand to bind the deal.

All he had to do was reach out and smack the mans open hand and it was done. He would be free. He glanced over at the woman, handing the baby back to its parents and openly joking with everyone. She was having a great time. Zenx had never seen her so happy, so carefree, absolutely overflowing with joy. He survived in his life, but she lived hers. Drunkenly, happily, serenely, lived in a way that he had read about, viewed as an outsider but never come so close to being a part of. Nor had seen his look and waved him to come closer.

He straightened up, surprised that he would be invited to come closer, be part of the laughter or be the joke. "Can you give me a day to think about it?"

"Of course. Might I ask why you walk so close to her?

"People are less afraid of a caged animal than a wild one."

Cho laughed. "Yeah, she does belong in a cage."

The red streak of the first blaster didn't even register with him. Why would there be a blaster at a party? The second one grazed Cho, as he stood up to return fire, his left hand came out and toss Zenx to the ground, giving him cover from the fire. Zenx jumped up and grabbed a knife from the table but then he saw the baby.

"NO!" A mother roared in agony as the limp child was brought down from its raised position, held in its fathers hands. The parents looked as four bounty hunters stormed the room and blasters raised to kill the rest of them.

All of her joy, all of her calm, all of her control burst apart. The dark side seized upon her rage, greedily, and she gave in. Nors saber snapped on and she drew all of the blaster strikes into her, into the force. When the blasters were not working, they started to march towards her. Violently she attacked the first one, some sort of cockroach looking beast. Zenx had seen him around the bar, and knew that man always returned his pucks. He was defenseless against the swordsman who cut his blaster in half and spun around to decapitate him. The second one tried to throw a knife, which she deflected, and ran him through. The third had a saber, but was no swordsman and lost limb after limb to her blind rage. The fourth was struck with a flying object, and she dispatched him, slicing him from head to knee.

Three more raced into the hall, banging the doors against the wall they closed again, blasters firing away. She held out her hand, absorbed the hits, and dispatched two of them with out hesitation. The third she took her time with, cooking his flesh off his bone as the force flowed through her and burned him from within. As he collapsed into a smoldering pile, two mandalorians burst through the door, but the darkness was no longer just surrounding her – flowed through her freely, rushing from the endless well of dark strength and all she saw was red. Infuriated, she reached out with the force and crushed the first ones armor around him. The entire room trembled, wobbled, as she drew upon the infinite well of hatred for her attackers. As massive of a man as he was, as well trained, he was disabled, trapped in his own gear, and he fell to the ground. Alive and in great pain, he pulled at the armor trying to free himself. Her fury turned to the second one, who tried to shoot her, only to find the blaster was ineffective. He charged with a knife, only to find himself suspended in the air, being drawn tighter and tighter. Arched in pain, the second one finally yelled in pain.

Nor was the storm in the room, holding the man in the air, her glare full of rage as she slowly crushed his own armor into him. Zenx saw something else: an unendingly deep well of darkness that had filled her with rage. A pure hatred for the attackers. This rage, the dark side of the force, had changed her from a calm warrior to an unstoppable uncontrolled force. Now he was going to see her kill a Mandalorian.

Her saber came up slowly, menacingly, she was enjoying watching the warrior squirm against her force knowing that she was about to run him through. "Stop." Zenx called out as coolly as he could, but he knew it would come out as a plea. She paused, frozen by his voice. Completely, and utterly chocked by the sound, the tone, as pure as she was a slave to the dark side that voice called her from the darkness. Her eyes still burning into the captured Mandalorian, Zenx crossed the short distance and stepped in front of her. He knew she could see him, but she wasn't seeing _him_ yet. "He is my brother." He admitted. "I can't let you kill him."

She understood brotherhood. She couldn't see him, and couldn't focus on both the Mandalorian and him at the same time, but something about the way he had stepped between them told her all she needed to know. She swallowed. He pushed her right arm wider, standing between the two enemies, and slowly pushed her arm and saber down. Her saber retracted and she finally broke her stare to face him. The darkness, the rage, was burning out. He reached up, gingerly touching her jaw with his gloved hand, sliding it back to her neck and head, bringing his own head down towards her. He placed the forehead of his helmet onto hers. Zenx could feel the last of the darkness leaving her, as the other Mandalorian was slowly lowered to the ground, her left hand resting upon his mid back. His heart was racing, throbbing against his eardrums, deafening him to the world around him. Racing out of control, called for more, begged for him to relieve the pounding call for more. He couldn't. They stood there for a moment, their first embrace, half unwilling to break the spell. Zenx knew he had to, though, he had a lot to explain.

Pulling back Zenx looked at Nor. She stood, unmoving, her breath ragged from the outburst. Regaining her composure, she looked at the Mandalorian and then at Zenx. "Take them to your quarters." She ordered.

For the red and gold Mandalorian, Zenx had just stopped her certain death in battle. He was her weakness, and weaknesses can be exploited.

Being in a room with two other mandalorians felt electric, just like a family reunion. He offered them chairs, but only the one in red and gold hues sat down. The other one was looking around, randomly opening things. Even though it was an invasion of his privacy, he was thrilled to finally be with his own kind. Zenx finally had a chance to examine them. The Pre Mandalorian was obviously in charge, the one with the classic armor would be a second in command. The Pre Mandalorian was dressed in red and gold hues, while the other one had muted tones like a hunter in an oak forest. Zenx wasn't quite sure of what they thought of him without his armor on. He sat down and waited.

Red looked around the room. "Where is your armor?"

"I'm not sure. I was capture by the force user a few weeks ago."

"You let her keep you?" Oak sneered.

"I have been looking for a chance to escape." He offered. "This was my first bounty run."

Red looked over at Oak but didn't say anything. Oak opened the door to the bathroom, and closed it again. He walked over to the night stand and opened the empty drawers. He stepped over to the closet and opened the door. "Look at this!" He accused, pulling out the growler coat.

"That was a gift after we were attacked by a pack of growlers."

"You killed a growler?" Red asked notably impressed, "That's a worthy signet, you should talk to an armorer."

Zenx opened his mouth to object but his attention was caught as Oak pulled the coat off the hanger, revealing Zenx armor. He was shocked. When had Cho put his armor there?

"You chose to take off your armor?"

"No."

"Have you ever removed your helmet?"

"No."

"Has one of them-" Oak pointed to the door, "removed your helmet?"

"Never." Zenx stated as calmly as possible, but he could feel the defensiveness in his tone.

Red glanced between the two. "What's the plan?"

He swallowed hard. "The plan?"

"To bring in the bounty." Red explained, "That's why we are all here."

Zenx grunted as he tried to clear the frog that was sitting on his larynx, "How do we stop a force user?"

"We kill the Jedi using her weakness: You."


End file.
